Andalusian government reactivates plan to open up Nerja's Río Chiillar

After more than a decade of overcrowding and uncontrolled access to the Río Chillar in Nerja, the Andalusian regional government has reactivated its plans to find a management company so that the popular beauty spot can reopen to the public.

The tender process was publishedin the Junta de Andalucía's official bulletin (BOJA) on Tuesday, 3 February, to find a company that will take on the management of the river walk on the eastern Costa del Sol.

The objective is to design a private management model, similar to that of the Caminito del Rey in Ardales, through a contract with a private company. In March 2025 it rejected three proposals submitted by a private company in the round as the bids failed to meet the requirements in areas including the environment, safety, access and parking.

The river has been closed to the public since 8 August 2023, following numerous accidents and rescues of hikers as the area became a well-known walk, particularly in the summer months when up to 3,000 people would access it in one day. Many are still unaware that it has been closed and continue to enter the protected area, risking fines from Nerja town hall as the prohibition remains in effect.

Local environmentalists reject the plan to charge up to twelve euros for access to the river. The Cabinet of Nature Studies (GENA)-Ecologists in Action is completely opposed to the initiative and has called for a permanent ban on entry due to the unique nature of the protected enclave, accusing the authorities of "commercialising" it.